Homebuilder, philanthropist John Michaels of Bolton recalled fondly

John H. Michaels, co-owner of leading area residential development enterprise The Michaels Group, died May 23 in a boating accident on Lake George. Michaels, a resident of Bolton Landing, served on the town Zoning Board of Appeals, and was renowned for his extensive charitable work.
Courtesy photo

John H. Michaels, a prominent residential developer in the region, died as the result of a boating accident on Lake George the night of Friday May 23 — and friends and relatives recalled him fondly on Tuesday.

Along with his brother J. David Michaels, John Michaels was co-owner of The Michaels Group, a leading home-building enterprise in the region.

John Michaels, 57, was renowned for his philanthropy as well as for building more than 10,000 homes in 50 communities from Capital District north to Lake George over the last 30 years.

Michaels lived in the town of Bolton with his wife Sheila and their children. He served the community as a member of the town Zoning Board of Appeals.

Michaels was also known as an experienced pilot, volunteering for Angel Flight, which flies patients including children with urgent medical needs to remote hospitals for life-saving treatment.

Also, Michaels and his family members made frequent trips to Guatemala to build schools and to monitor the impact of their substantial donations to health clinics that provide care for the impoverished Mayan communities there.

Michaels, his family members, Michaels Group employees and his colleagues were leading donors to Glens Falls Hospital, the Glens Falls Family YMCA, Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Hospital ALS Center, Habitat for Humanity, and Ronald McDonald House of Albany.

Town of Bolton Supervisor Ron Conover offered his thoughts Tuesday on Michaels’ passing.

“John was a wonderful man, and he will be sorely missed,” Conover said. “His philanthropic work was just tremendous, as well as his substantial accomplishments in building communities.”

Conover added that Michaels touched many lives in profound ways.

“John Michaels always had a smile on his face — his approach to things was wonderful,” he said. “I can’t say enough about him — this is a terrible loss to all — and the community extends heartfelt condolences to his family.”

Mark Grimm, former board member of the town of Guilderland, reported Tuesday that many hundreds of people attended his wake, which was held for four hours Tuesday afternoon at Singleton Sullivan Potter Funeral Home in Queensbury.

“This is an amazing outpouring of support for a great man and family,” he said, noting that there was a two-hour waiting line at the wake.

“John was the best role model for civic leadership — the gold standard — Integrity in business, personally involved in charitable work, and able to inspire everyone he met,” Grimm continued. “He has left his lasting imprint on so many who admired him.”

Michaels had been alone in the 21-foot Steiger speedboat when he crashed into rocks and trees on the shoreline near Cotton Point and suffered massive trauma, State Police said in a prepared statement. Authorities reported that the crash might have been due to a medical condition.

Michaels was taken to Glens Falls Hospital by the Bolton Emergency Squad, where he was pronounced dead soon after the incident, which occurred just after 10 p.m.

As of early this week, the State Police and officers of the state Department of Environmental Conservation were continuing their investigation into the crash, and an autopsy was pending.

John and David Michaels began their careers in residential development in Colorado, but returned to the Capital Region in the early 1980s to join their father James in home-building. Together, they formed The Michaels Group.

John and David served as the firm’s managing partners. John’s son Luke is vice president of the enterprise.

David is taking on his brother’s responsibilities, according to the statement issued on behalf of the firm and the Michaels family.

“We learned from our Dad that our foremost responsibility was to meet all our commitments and strive to exceed our customers’ expectations,” David Michaels said. “John’s death is a heartbreaking loss to our family, co-workers, and so many friends. We will carry on in his name with the same dedication to excellence and integrity.”

State Assemblyman Dan Stec (R-Queensbury), recalled how John Michaels was influential in economic development efforts in the early 2000s as Chairman of the Warren County Economic Development Corp. He also said Michaels’ local developments enhanced their host towns.

“John achieved a lot of business success personally, but he contributed so much towards others,” Stec said. “He had a healthy, positive attitude toward everything he did, and he donated so much of his time and talents. He had a very respected voice in the community, and his passing is a very big loss for the area.”